On Top of Real Recognition: Top 10 Ways to Give Year-End Thanks Without Cash Bonuses

Incentive: Strategy

On Top of Real Recognition: Top 10 Ways to Give Year-End Thanks Without Cash Bonuses
December 15, 2009

By Roy Saunderson

It’s been tough for many businesses this year, yet top-producing employees will still expect something special at year end. Here are 10 ways to say thanks and show appreciation without a cash bonus.

1. Tell the truth early. No surprises. Tell employees the financial and business health of the organization and that there won't be bonuses (or a significantly lower amount of money, if that is the case).

2. Write thank you letters. Enlist supervisors' and managers’ help to identify the contributions of each employee over the past year. State your appreciation loud and clear in the letter and thank workers for hanging in there through a tough year.

3. Give them time off. Even if it is only a couple of hours or an afternoon, employees will appreciate the paid time off to do holiday shopping or cooking or to spend it with family. Time off, in itself, also can be a stress-reducer.

4. Invest in their professional development. Whether it is an in-house program, a local college course off site, or someone you bring in to do training, professional development is a way of expressing appreciation to employees.

5. Introduce health and wellness options. Bring in fitness experts to offer classes like calisthenics or yoga at breaks or lunchtime. Hold weight-reduction and smoking cessation classes to minimize employee health risk. Show you care by designating a room at the office just for exercising and by holding lunch-and-learn sessions on health and wellness topics.

6. Foodies rule the day. Celebrate the end of the year by having some goodies or a meal together. If the company can’t fork out funds for everything, let employees spend work time organizing a pot luck, in which each person contributes food and the company provides paper goods, soda, etc.

7. Extend Casual Fridays. Let your employees dress casually for the rest of the year. After this stressful year, they will truly appreciate the relaxed atmosphere.

8. Assemble a teambuilding project. Hold a gingerbread-house-making competition. Divide employees into small groups of four or five and give each group a gingerbread house kit. Winning teams can receive gift certificates to a local bakery or “Get Out Of Work Free” cards that allow workers to leave early (time based on demands of the season). As an added bonus, donate all of the completed gingerbread houses to local nursing homes to extend the joy of the holidays to others.

9. Hold one-on-one time. Each manager should be coached on how to hold effective one-on-one informal sessions with employees and be expected to have one with every employee. Managers can ask about employees' welfare, their families, concerns, and dreams and then express genuine appreciation for each individual’s contributions.

10. Thanks at the door. On the last day of work of the year, have senior leaders stand at the door and shake hands with employees, giving them personal thanks and best wishes for a happy new year. If any funds are available, small gifts may be given at this time.

Incentive online columnist Roy Saunderson is author of Giving the Real Recognition Way and president of the Recognition Management Institute, www.realrecognition.com, which consults companies on improving employee motivation that leads to increased productivity and profits. He can be reached at roysaunderson@realrecognition.com.

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